Post: #4226

(03-31-2016 11:04 PM)musashi Wrote:  What trade are you Scotian? We're waiting to hear about an upcoming job at Horizon any day now. We will need fitters welders and ironworkers soon. My girlfriends company got another project on site as well which is a 2 year project and hires the same trades. PM me for more info.

By horizon do you mean CNRL? I would strongly advised anyone to stay away from there if they can. The camps are just brutal.

Post: #4227

The camps are brutal, but it's one of the few places still moving ahead with construction, and CNRL is very relaxed about alcohol and steroids (security in general) compared to the others. Not to mention the gym is half decent and you can survive on the food. I'm still grateful to be grossing 160K a year.

Post: #4228

(04-02-2016 01:03 PM)musashi Wrote:  The camps are brutal, but it's one of the few places still moving ahead with construction, and CNRL is very relaxed about alcohol and steroids (security in general) compared to the others. Not to mention the gym is half decent and you can survive on the food. I'm still grateful to be grossing 160K a year.

You are grossing 160k now?
What's your trade if you don't mind me asking?

Post: #4229

I do HSE, but Im also a red seal carpenter/journeyman scaffolder. Ive been in Oil and gas for 10+ years, construction over 18 years

Post: #4230

(04-02-2016 02:01 PM)musashi Wrote:  I do HSE, but Im also a red seal carpenter/journeyman scaffolder. Ive been in Oil and gas for 10+ years, construction over 18 years

Nice. Should of been retired by now!

Post: #4231

(04-02-2016 01:03 PM)musashi Wrote:  The camps are brutal, but it's one of the few places still moving ahead with construction, and CNRL is very relaxed about alcohol and steroids (security in general) compared to the others. Not to mention the gym is half decent and you can survive on the food. I'm still grateful to be grossing 160K a year.

Yup ill agree with you there about the gym and alcohol. I've been spoiled going to Noralta camps with your own bathroom and great food. I always say ill never go back to CNRL but somehow always end up back there.

Post: #4232

(04-02-2016 01:03 PM)musashi Wrote:  The camps are brutal, but it's one of the few places still moving ahead with construction, and CNRL is very relaxed about alcohol and steroids (security in general) compared to the others. Not to mention the gym is half decent and you can survive on the food. I'm still grateful to be grossing 160K a year.

I know someone that was banned from all CNRL sites because he is pretty big and someone reported him and they searched his room. So, not really that easy.

Post: #4233

you can't compare industry vets and new guys man. Honestly, older guys with a ton of experience never lose their jobs, they just take paycuts until it picks up again, I've seen foremen welding; but haven't seen them lose work. It's done for greenhands for the foreseeable future, and it's a lot more competitive.

Post: #4234

Still working down here in Texas fortunately!! Ended up getting on with another company that had a good bit more work than the last one I was at. Fortunately for me I'm single, no kids, no mortgage or rent, so I can stay in this downturn a lot longer than most, but I'd rather not be out here in the middle of nowhere for the low pay. Only way I can justify the low pay is me gaining more experience in what I'm doing, and moving up since some of the higher experience guys with more overhead can't stay out here with the lower pay. If I stay in it and move up to where I wanna be, I can potentially be in a really good position once things pick up again, but who knows when that will be.

Post: #4235

^ Are you in the Permian, Eagle Ford, or somewhere else?

Post: #4236

In the Permian working as I type this

Post: #4237

Well I'm officially back in the patch in Alberta, I'm not struggling to make ends meet, but it's been a huge change. I'm going to living in basements again, I can deal with that and advancing in my trade. The work is all over the place, I can't afford to refuse work. This oil crash also dealt a pretty blow to my ego, and I'm noticed I'm lacking confidence in myself now in many things besides work. I might make 50k this year, who knows? at least I can get a place and feed myself in contrast to all the people going broke as I hear more and more stories going around the worksite. I had a rough day today, I gotta get outta this shit eventually.

Post: #4238

I'll be heading back there for the summer looking for work. Doesn't particularly have to be in the oil patch, but if it's there I'll take it.

Post: #4239

What type of work do you do jack of all trades?

Post: #4240

So pissed I missed this goldmine. Oil in the 30's now, SMH. If I'd had my driver's license and car I'd have been able to grab some cash towards the end up in Dakota or down in Texas!

Post: #4241

(04-12-2016 04:02 AM)Lateapex Wrote:  What type of work do you do jack of all trades?

I'm in the metal trades, at least edmonton isn't as hit hard as the small towns. They're done man, I was talking to a co worker who moved from one of those towns to edmonton to find more work. He's taking quite a paycut from the old days but he can stay employed. He's telling me how wal mart is full of unemployed pipefitters who can't get work. It's a sad reality in those smaller towns and he said that city was shrinking and housing is bad for homeowners as he took a hit to his houses.

As much as it's shitty here, I'd still prefer to the other cities in canada. You just can't get ahead back home in montreal, toronto, or vancouver. As much as people were saying the costs are insanely high back in the boom times and even now. If you look at the income and cost ratios it's helluva lot better than the other canadian cities.

Post: #4242

It's a travesty that the TransCanada and Keystone XL haven't been built yet, they would have helped dampen the shock on the Canadian oil patch. If Harper wasn't able to do it I don't see how Justin T is going to pull it off...

Post: #4243

As much as people talk about this thread and trades jobs and everything, how great it is; I feel that a bunch of the guys on the forum just aren't cut out for the trades man. These jobs aren't glamorous at all, working with pressure vessels and metal fabrication, pipelines etc. This shit is hard, it's dirty and your going to sweat, if I could be a cool internet marketer making 100k+ in SEA and partying up with hot girls around the world, wearing nice suits and working out of my laptop. I'd drop this in a heartbeat and live it up in my youth, cuz right now in my 20s I'd rather be doing that than working here.

Post: #4244

I'm looking to get site/plant/factory experience to complement my current design role. Any suggestion regarding countries or companies I should aim for? For example pharma roles in Canada or mining in Australia. What i'm looking for are roles similar to plant operators which require little experience to get into.

Post: #4245

(04-13-2016 03:35 PM)Jack Of All Trades Wrote:  As much as people talk about this thread and trades jobs and everything, how great it is; I feel that a bunch of the guys on the forum just aren't cut out for the trades man. These jobs aren't glamorous at all, working with pressure vessels and metal fabrication, pipelines etc. This shit is hard, it's dirty and your going to sweat, if I could be a cool internet marketer making 100k+ in SEA and partying up with hot girls around the world, wearing nice suits and working out of my laptop. I'd drop this in a heartbeat and live it up in my youth, cuz right now in my 20s I'd rather be doing that than working here.

Anyone would rather be doing that. Fact is we have the ability to make greater than 80 percent of Canadians when times are good. Also the ability to make a short amount of money in a small amount of time.

The work isn't glamorous at all and many times mind numbingly boring, but where else can you money up for six months, take off, then come back without penalty? If you control spending you have significant freedom.

I think people are retarded if they want to get into trades for a 9 to 5. I wouldn't want to do it, but then again I was never handy or wanting to fix things or see how things worked. It's in the money and lifestyle for me. If I was supporting a family and locked in a mortgage during some of these downturns I wouldn't like it at all.

Post: #4246

yes but those good times won't be back for a while, also the reason we make so much is because of overtime. Your not getting a badass salary and chilling, your putting in 16h days of sweat everyday. I can't stand more than 12's and I'm in my 20s, 16s is harsh shit especially in the winter.

I agree with the 9-5 in the trades it's shit and not worth it, but you fail to realize that working out of town doing insane hours messes you up. You lose sight of regular social interactions after a while and get shocked when you come back to civilization.

Post: #4247

(04-13-2016 07:17 PM)Jack Of All Trades Wrote:  yes but those good times won't be back for a while, also the reason we make so much is because of overtime. Your not getting a badass salary and chilling, your putting in 16h days of sweat everyday. I can't stand more than 12's and I'm in my 20s, 16s is harsh shit especially in the winter.

I agree with the 9-5 in the trades it's shit and not worth it, but you fail to realize that working out of town doing insane hours messes you up. You lose sight of regular social interactions after a while and get shocked when you come back to civilization.

Completely agree with Jack. I did a 24/4 shift for a year, and eventually went a bit crazy, had to take six weeks off to become socially normal again. I stacked good cash and have a good nest egg, but I have sacrificed a shit ton in my life to get to where I am

Post: #4248

working in the trades fundamentally changes you, it's crazy. I have heard of guys losing their mind after working in the middle of nowhere for long periods of time (6+ months straight). Also people forget about getting up the journeyman status, your not working 40 hours a week or more, you get sent on projects and when they're over you could be sitting with no work for long periods of time as a first year. It's fine when your busy and are working straight, but when your on call and there's no crazy amount of work it sucks balls.

And some jobs will be fucking terrible man, doing metal prep inside a pressure vessel for one. I swear we are actually underpaid in the trades, it's a huge trade off and we deserve more $ for the shit we do.

Post: #4249

(04-13-2016 07:24 PM)musashi Wrote:  Completely agree with Jack. I did a 24/4 shift for a year, and eventually went a bit crazy, had to take six weeks off to become socially normal again. I stacked good cash and have a good nest egg, but I have sacrificed a shit ton in my life to get to where I am

Haha that reminds me, one time on a rig a guy was telling me how he worked for four months straight while mentioning his fat ass paycheck.

I asked him, "How did you stay sane?"

He replied, "I'm not sane."

Post: #4250

Things always cycle. Even in this downturn you have journeyman who will break 100k easy this year and some apprentices if they work all year. Three years in trades I've never worked a 16 and if I did I'd grind it out for four months then laugh while walking away after moneying up.

Never had a problem with out of town or camp work. No spending money, working out, learning a language. If you're an introvert you'll thrive.

Do I want to do this forever? No, but I want to ensure I"ll have a nice nest egg when I start on with another career. Come on man find some positives. They're there. Stick it out.